Constipation, a common gastrointestinal condition characterised by infrequent bowel movements (fewer than three per week), difficulty passing stools, or passing hard and lumpy stools, affects people of all ages. The condition tends to worsen in winter and the festive time due to reduced fluid intake, limited physical activity, and dietary changes. Dr Arvind Sahni, Director of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Fortis Hospital Mohali, and Dr Sonia Gandhi, Head, Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Fortis Mohali, share some tips for managing and preventing constipation, along with advice on when to seek medical attention for constipation. Sahni emphasises the importance of maintaining a healthy gut through hydration, exercise, and intake of fibre. Following are some of his recommendations: Hydration: Drink over two litres of fluids daily, as it helps in the easy digestion of food, maintains bowel movement, prevents constipation, and enhances food absorption. Regular Exercise: Engage in physical activity to promote bowel movements. Fibre Intake: Adults should consume approximately 30 grams of dietary fibre daily from natural sources. Fruits like avocado, pear, passion fruit, unpeeled apples, raspberry, prunes, pomegranate and vegetables such as broccoli, corn, green peas, pumpkin, sweet potato, turnip. “Consume at least 30 grams of dietary fibre daily (e.g, one avocado and one pear cover 50 per cent of this requirement). Other foods include oats, flaxseed, chia seeds, bran, unpeeled potatoes, lentils, and soybeans. Sahni advises meeting fibre requirements through a healthy diet rather than supplements and suggests that one must seek immediate medical attention if constipation is accompanied by blood in stools, significant weight loss, severe abdominal pain, vomiting, loss of appetite or abdominal distension. For temporary relief, adds Sahni, laxatives can be helpful, but they should be used cautiously and only for short periods. “For chronic cases where obstruction has been ruled out, newer medications are safe and effective options under medical guidance.” Gandhi says that oats, bananas, garlic, and onions are the best examples of prebiotics that become the food of the gut bacteria. Fermented foods can also boost the number of beneficial bacteria, or probiotics, in the gut. Some examples of fermented foods are dosa, idli, pickles, dhokalas, etc. Probiotics, she explains, are the live bacteria that enhance gut health and include curd, kefir, cheese, kimchi, kombucha etc. The experts advise seasonal food like berries, broccoli, nuts and seeds, blueberries, plums, cherries, apples, strawberries, and going slow on high-fat, processed foods and sweets.
